Facilitating weight management.

More and more people worldwide are affected by obesity. This is mainly caused by a decrease in energy expenditure due to our sedentary lifestyle, as well as an increase in a calorie consumption to levels higher than needed to be in balance. Long-term, negative health effects include chronic diseases and risk factors like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Consumers are increasingly aware of their dietary choices having a major impact on their metabolism and weight, thus influencing their overall health. Avoiding weight gain is as important as losing weight. That is why they are actively asking for nutritional products that support their weight management efforts.

Click to learn more.

Calories count – go for less sugar

Studies have shown that on average, women and men gain up to 1 kg each year – simply by eating as little as respectively 4kcal/day and 13kcal/day over the required amount.

BENEO functional fibres can help to achieve excellent taste with less calories, thereby facilitating product development with healthier nutrient compositions and lower calorie counts. Furthermore, different categories of our fibres can act as low-caloric sugar replacer. While sugar contains 4 kcal/g, Orafti® Oligofructose contains just 1,5 kcal/g at most*.

Our smart, low calorie sugar replacer, Isomalt is mainly fermented in the colon, hence, the human body can only use less than 50 % of its energy. This explains its low caloric value of 2 kcal/g* at the most.

* Regulations for nutritional labeling of calories vary from country to country.

Calories count – go for less fat

Fat gives food delicious tastes and textures – but it comes with many calories! Though it is not difficult to create low-fat products, the challenge is to deliver a similar taste and mouthfeel as the initial full-fat-options.

Rice starch from BENEO is nutritionally well-balanced, facilitating low levels of fat and a creamy mouthfeel. This makes it the ideal fat replacer in all types of low fat foods with an appealing, creamy texture.

Furthermore, different categories of our Orafti® Inulin can mimic the sensorial characteristics of fat and thus can be fat replacers. While fat contains 9 kcal/g, our Orafti® HP and HPX contributes just 1.5 kcal/g*.

* Regulations for nutritional labeling of calories vary from country to country.

Burn that body fat

Our body is programmed to store fat for times when food is not available, we build energy reserves. The main hormone responsible for fat storage is the insulin in our blood. Where high levels of insulin inhibit fat burning and promote fat storage, low levels enable the body to burn fat (as the inhibition is reduced).

As Palatinose™ induces a low blood glucose response, the body releases only a reduced amount of insulin. These lower insulin levels prompt our body to burn stored fat for energy production. Fat can be burned for energy supply.

In a study on overweight participants with insulin resistance, the consumption of meals containing Palatinose™ did not only result in lower daily insulin levels, it also showed an increase in fat burning by up to 18 %.

Reduce food intake with fibres

In today’s mostly sedentary society, managing body weight has become a challenge: Food intake is easy nowadays with the omnipresence of food, while satiety and body weight regulation still follow the ancient way that was meant to prepare for longer starvation periods. Overeating has become a common phenomenon with obesity on the rise.

BENEO functional fibres can help to reduce food intake. In particular Orafti® Synergy1 and Orafti® Oligofructose have consistently shown to help people eat less over time when added to their habitual diet. Results from an isocaloric study in healthy adults are shown in the right margin (Effect of Oligofructose on calorie intake in healthy adults).

The effects of BENEO functional fibres on food intake are a result of their specific prebiotic fermentation properties: The short chain fatty acid production positively influences satiety regulation and subsequent food intake.

On long-term perspective, cutting calorie intake with Orafti® Synergy1 or Orafti® Oligofructose can support body weight management. Studies highlight the potential of these BENEO functional fibres in putting a halt at weight gain or even reducing body weight and body fat mass. Both would be desirable goals in body weight management.